How Long Will Mankind Last?
ERHAPS half a million years may be taken as the average life-span of a successful mammalian species. However, our own species, which in our arrogance we have called Homo sapiens, has so far enjoyed a mere 50,000 years of existence, though more primitive species of men do go back perhaps 300,000 or 400,000 years. There is therefore no apparent reason why present-day Homo sapiens should not live on for 400,000 years or so provided he can stand up to the strain imposed by the struggle for existence that affects all living organisms. At the end of his racial span, two alternative fates await him. Either by progressive evolution, conquering his own deficiencies and adapting himself to a changing world, he will evolve into a being of an even higher type, or else he will become eliminated in competition with a better equipped species of a totally different race-perhaps not even mam-malian-(Dr. F. J. Turner, "The Future of the Earth as an Abode for Man," 4YA, June 14.)
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19400621.2.18
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 52, 21 June 1940, Page 10
Word count
Tapeke kupu
172How Long Will Mankind Last? New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 52, 21 June 1940, Page 10
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in